Yeah I think genes play a big role. Both my parents wear glasses, and my 2 brothers and I thought we didn't have to (we're young and invulnerable ;)) , lo and behold in the past 3 or so years all of us have gotten glasses :-lol

>Hi, >>My advice would be to go and take the proper JAA Medical>Examination if you really want flying to be your career. I am>also slightly short-sighted (stigmatisme), but i passed the>Medical with no problems.>>Vision requirements for air crew have been relaxed slightly>for a few years now. Your 'doctor' probably needs to read up a>bit...!>>Cheers >>PS...Real airline pilots also have to look at CRT's all day,>with most planes having EFIS!ditto jamie, important thing in this game is never believe the hearsay. I have pretty screwy eyes from getting an infection when i was really young, passed the jaa class one on a deviation due to being inside the renewal standards.Never give up!!CG

Interesting thread! I'm an air traffic controller and a pilot and I wear glasses (with an element of left eye astigmatism). Only stipulation is that my medical certificate has an inclusion that I have to carry a spare pair when flying (not down the back obviously!!)KFD

My medical is kind of strange in that it says I have to wear corrective vision for seeing distance, but also I must "posses" (as in on my person) a pair of glasses for up close, even though my vision is fine up close.

A little online research shows that there's no clinical evidence that using computers harms the eyes.For example, experts at such institutions as the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=WL00060), Medline Plus (A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health) and the Medem Medical Library (via a link from the American Academy of Ophthalmology) agree that staring at computer screens, while sometimes irritating, does not damage one's eyes.From "Eyestrain and your computer screen" at Mayo Clinic:Eyestrain associated with computer use isn't thought to have serious or long-term consequences, but it's disruptive and unpleasant.=====From "Computer Screens and Your Eyes" at www.Medem.com:As more people use computers in the workplace, complaints of eye fatigue, difficulty focusing and dry eye are becoming common. Lighting, furniture and desk configurations that worked fine for typewriters, could add to eye fatigue and discomfort when working with computers.Although you may experience painful eyestrain and dry eye while using a computer, computer screens do not permanently damage vision. ======From "Frequently Asked Questions aboutComputers and Their Effects on Your Eyes" at www.Intellihealth.com (associated with Harvard Medical School)Q: Can looking at computer screens damage my eyes?Complaints of eye fatigue and discomfort are common. Many people assume that computer use in the office or at home is the source of these complaints. But extensive testing in government and private laboratories has not produced scientific evidence that computer screens will harm your eyes. Research has established that the most common kind of computer screens emit little or no hazardous radiation, such as x-ray, or non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet rays.=======================Those interesed in learning more about "astigmatism" may find information at the following link helpful:http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW...l?d=dmtHealthAZN.B. that: "Astigmatism cannot be prevented. It appears to run in families and is present from birth."========Detailed information (and many useful links) about the standards the FAA requires for medical certification in the U.S. is available at:http://www.cami.jccbi.gov/aam-300/amcdfaq.html.Similar information about JAA medical standards is available at:http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/med/default.asp?page=526

HI!I wanted to become a professional aviator as well and, how ironic, got a ceratoconus (least thats what its called in Germany, some sort of irregular astygmatism that can only to a certain extend be corrected by hard contactlenses, no glasses, no laser surgery).Anyways, here in Germany, least if you wanna join Lufthansa, its even tougher. until a few years ago you had to have no more than +/- 1 dioptries. Others, even LH CityLine or LH Cargo accepted an do accept */- 3. And you can forget about laser surgery, they say. they wont take you with that, since it still is a relativelly new technology and there is not much known yet about the log-term effects...But thats what i got fs for *g*RegardsMatthias

Ryan, cool path your in. Best wishes for a successful run at Air Force pilot or whatever role you find your self in.Genes certainly have their role, but truthfully, environmental factors can certainly impair or influence vision. I think there may be some relationship between CRT use and cataracts. This is probably diminished by the use of any UV rated pair of glasses.Noel

Hi, It is unlikely that looking at the screen caused your astigmatism. I've had it for decades. BUT, about 1993, I came out of the Gym where I'd been sitting in the Jaccuzzi for half an hour, and in the steam room for 20 minutes, and my glasses were fogged. Soooo, I took them off, and was amazed. Could read signs 200 feet away, that Id never been able to read before, without glasses. Thought that this was temporary, but hoped it would not be. After six months went to my Optomitrist for an exam. HE was amazed, had never seen eyesight improve so much in a 65 year old. Discussing this with him, he decided it was due to a dramatic reduction in stress levels. I'd been terribly abused as a child, beaten until blood was drawn once or twice weekly. Then, serving two tours in combat (Korea) and extending them each time, wound up with Post Traumatic Stress Disfunction. (My eyesight also got worse each year.) Prior to the change, my eyesight was so bad, I could only see at 20 feet, what others could see clearly at 275 feet. I'd been in therapy for decades, gone to school to get a Masters in Psychology, and began doing research to reduce or eliminate my stress levels. Learned some effective methods, perfected them, developed some of my own, and practiced them for 27 years... By 1992-1993 all my symptoms from the PTSD were gone. The Optomitrist said, "My brother and I have said for decades, if we could get rid of clients stress we didnt believe they' need glasses any longer." Most MD's will say stress is responsibile for over 80% of ALL illness. It lowers the bodies immune system's ability to protect itself. Some doctors say they believe 95% of all illness is caused by stress. Dr's in LA, has been doing research with cancer for over 30 years, finding even terminal cancer goes into remission, when stress levels are reduced. In addition to my eyesight improving to 20/20 at my last exam, having the requirement for glasses removed from my drivers license, etc... I've not had a cold or the flu now for over 27 years, and have never had a flu shot. Meditation & Prayer had about 80% to do with my stress reduction, knowledge and practice of psychology, did the rest. Bob

Okay, this one has gone south and is now closed.